of the education of the county from then on. William Lyon, although retired for some years, died in 1936.

His son, John Lyon born about 1880, succeeded in partnership with his father to the secretaryship of the Education Committee which thus continued with that firm until the set up of the County Buildings and independent administration in 1936. John did not become bank agent which had by then been made a full-time appointment.

John Lyon, carrying on the business as 'sole partner' after his father's death, took into partnership in 1946, Donald Brian Shaw who had served in World War II in the Royal Navy (Fleet Air Arm) and he, D. B. Shaw, continued in practice until his retiral in 1985. John Lyon was remembered by many for his Gilbert & Sullivan enthusiasm and his playing of Jack Point and other roles in the operas put on in the 1930s by the local Philharmonic Society.

John Lyon having died in 1953, Brian Shaw took into partnership Michael Claude Ogilvie-Thomson. Of slight eccentricity and of apparently reasonable means which could have precluded him working at all, he was nevertheless a good and pedantic lawyer (of the old school - in conveyancing) but sadly died before the age of 50 in 1967.

Continuing with some help in the intervening years, Brian Shaw took into partnership in 1970, Alastair Keith Christie and for a short time in the 1980s, Ronald Cobham. In 1985 when he retired, he left the business in the hands of Keith Christie who continues to this day as 'sole partner'. Brian Shaw took on the duties of Town Clerk of Innerleithen in 1956, until the demise of local government in 1975 and the firm in more recent years opened a branch in Galashiels which continues today in addition to the main office in Peebles. This main office has been throughout in the Bank of Scotland Chambers (now 72 High Street) - a new building superseding the older bank on the same site in the 1930s.

William Gordon was in the 1920-40 period a lone practitioner, unlike the partnerships with their bank connections. His office was above 'Wemyss the barber's shop' in the High Street some few doors west of Veitch's Corner Shop at the junction of High Street/Northgate. The business was taken over by J. & W. Buchan on his death. He was described to the writer by someone who once worked for him - 'He was an awful nice old man - far too decent to be a lawyer' - what better epitaph!